10 Acts Who Could Headline Reading and Leeds 2018

With Glastonbury taking a 'gap yah' in 2018, a gaping hole has been left in the UK summer festival season that the other top dogs will be fighting to fill.

As one of the biggest music festivals that the UK has to offer, Reading and Leeds will be one of the first go-to events for people looking for a suitable alternative. Hosted on the Bank Holiday weekend end of August, the event draws in thousands upon thousands of keen festival-goers with one of the more varied music tastes, compared to other festivals.

With a full line-up yet to be announced, here's a list of ten artists who are more than worthy of heading up the bill this summer.

Arctic Monkeys

Making their long-awaited return in 2018, Arctic Monkeys are placed high up on the list of potential headliners. The band have been keeping quiet about the forthcoming record, but we can all confidently assume it will be huge. Having previously headlined the festival back in 2009 and 2014, they are well overdue a return to Reading and Leeds.

The 1975

Another band who are serious contenders for the top slot, The 1975 have been making steady progress up the stages in their short time in the public eye. Having received wide acclaim following their slot headlining the NME stage in 2016, the Mancunian outfit will have the main stage in their sights to coincide with the upcoming third studio album.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

It’s been a long, long time since Noel Gallagher has made an appearance at Reading and Leeds, but the festival’s booking agents definitely should not be vetoing him just yet. At 50 years old, Noel seems to have re-found his form, having dropped an immense, experimental record that topped the charts in less than a week.

The Killers

The Killers have already confirmed headline appearances at a number of festivals all over the world, including Lollapalooza, Isle of Wight and Benicassim. Though most of June and July is already booked up for the American four-piece, there is a glaringly obvious vacancy left on August bank holiday weekend. 

Kendrick Lamar

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Another familiar face who has graced the main stage at the festival previously, Kendrick Lamar would be sure to bring raw, in-your-face energy once again. After dropping one of the most critically-acclaimed albums of 2017, the American artist has truly established himself as a real talent with the ability to draw in buzzing crowds.

Courteeners

Courteeners may be more of a riskier choice for the festival’s booking team, given that the Mancunian four-piece often divide opinion. However, the band are certainly no stranger to the Reading and Leeds main stages and have already displayed their capability to bring in humungous crowds, demonstrated when they sold out the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground in Manchester last May.

Stormzy

Slowly but surely, Reading & Leeds have been integrating grime artists further into the line-ups in recent years, giving musicians like Giggs and Boy Better Know valuable time on the main stage as opposed to confining the genre to the Radio 1Xtra tent. British artist Stormzy will be bouncing off the back of a breakthrough year, which saw him release a widely praised debut album and win numerous accolades, including Solo Artist of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year awards.

Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice’s 2017 record ‘Visions of a Life’ found itself firmly ranked in many publication’s top albums of the year. The band have proven themselves to be more than capable of nailing a co-headline slot and thousands of adoring fans would be ecstatic over Ellie Rowsell’s infectious vocals echoing out over the festival grounds.

The Vaccines

With their fourth album due end of March, The Vaccines are starting to enter the realms of festival co-headliner status. Having been announced for Community Fest held in Finsbury Park in July, which will see them perform in front of over 40,000 adoring fans, perhaps it will nicely warm them up for Richfield Avenue in August?

Foo Fighters

To be fair, Foo Fighters could be in contention to headline every year. Historically, Reading & Leeds has prided itself in bringing together the best of rock music, so perhaps a return to its traditional roots could be in order, with Dave Grohl and the always energetic Foo Fighters making yet another appearance on the main stage.